Mond duval



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

M. L. E. DUVAL.

APPARATUS.

Pat ented Sept. 13, 1887 N Firms. Phaln-Udmgraphur, Wzshinglon. 0,0.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. M. L. E. DUVAL. MECHANICAL DEVICE FOR SHUTTING THE DOORSOF DIFFUSING APPARATUS.

'No. 369,845. Patented Sept. 13, 1887.

:4. runs. Plwlwlilhagnplmr. Wnshingfon. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

MARTIN LEONARD EDMOND DUVAL, on PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO THE SOOIETE ANONYME'DITE GOMPAGNIE DE FIVEsLILLE, OF SAME PLAoE.

MECHANICAL DEVlCE FOR SHUTTING THE DOORS 0F DlFFUSlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,845, dated September 13, 1887.

Application filed March 14, 1887. Serial No. 230,828. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARTIN LEON RD ED- MOND DUVAL, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Paris, in said Republic, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mechanical Devices for Closing the Gates ofDiffusing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the closing and fastening of the movable bottoms or discharge-gates of diffusing apparatus, and is especially applicable to cylindro-conical, cylindrical, and conical diffusers of great capacity for the treatment of beet-root, sugarcane, bagasse, and other matters.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are elevations at right angles to each other of a diffusing apparatus having my invention applied. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, partly in the line a l/ and partly in the line 0 d of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan. Fig. 5 is a front view of the articulation of the discharge-gate and of the mechanism for opening and closing the same. Fig. 6 shows a horizontal section in the line 6 f of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a side view of the fastening mechanism.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The movable bottom 1? of the diffuser, constituting the discharge-gate, is articulated at X at the middle of its height and furnished with a counterpoise, A, which has the effect of balancing the weight in all positions, and therefore rendering the operation very easy. This operation is executed by means of four rods, B B G 0, provided with crank-handles D D, and guided by stationary sockets E, cast with the upper part of the diffuser, and supported at their lower ends in sockets forming step-bearings cast with the lower part of the diffuser.

The opening mechanism, placed between the articulation X of the gate and the axis of the they may be operated by a single crank, d.

On the opposite side of the axis of the diffuser the movable bottom or gate is maintained closed in the following manner: Each rod 0 has on its lower part a screw-thread, R, and its lower end is supported in a step-bearing, S, cast with the base of the diffuser. The screw-thread R is fitted with a nut, T, on each side of which are articulated connecting-rods H H, connected at their lower ends with a counterpoised loop-catch, L. These rods H are guided'in grooves cast in each side of the step-bearing S. This guiding prevents on the one part the nuts T from turning, and on the other part it maintains the counterpoisedloopcatch L against the diffuser. A small rod, W, which is articulated upon the fixed part forming the step-bearing, and which carries at its upper end a small slide, limits at a certain moment the vertically-descending course of the catch L, and after this moment makes it describe an arc of a circle about the'lower axis of the said small rod and disengages this catch from the hook K, riveted to the gate, which fromthattime becomes free and may be opened. The two rods 0 are also geared together at their upper parts by a shaft, G, and bevelgears operated by a single hand-crank, D*.

To open the apparatus at the momentwhen it is desired to effect the discharge, it is sufficient to turn the crank D*, which operates the rods 0, in order to cause the descent of the rods H and afterward of the catchesrL. Then by the movement of descent the pivots on the ears of the catches have arrived at the bottoms of slots in the small suspended rods W, the catches describe the arc of a circle until they liberate themselves from the hooks K. The movable bottom then opens freely under the influence of the weight of the charge of the diffuser, combined with the movement of the rods B, which control the descent. After having emptied the apparatus,the rods B are turned in a reverse direction by means of the crank-handle D, and the bottom is returned by the action of counterpoise A, combined with that of the closing-rods, to occupy the closing position. The gate is then secured at two points. The fastening-rods 0, being then turned by the crank D draw up the rods H, and the coun-' terbalanced loop-catches L return automatically under the hooks K, owing to their weight. Nothing more now remains to be done but to screw up all the rods B B G 0 hard to effect a tight closing of the gate and put the apparatus in condition to receive a new charge. The gate is thus held at four points, and is consequently wellsustained to preserve a tightjoint.

It will be understood that by means of these devices the entire operation is effected from above the apparatus without loss of time and without necessitating any manual work for emptying the diffuser.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1.- The combination, with the diffusing-vessel having a counterbalanced bottom or discharge-gate, of the screw-rods B B, the nuts I J on the said rods, the fixed slideway s M M for said nuts, the rods N N, connecting said nuts with the bottom or gate, and the shaft G, geared with the upper ends of said screwrods to enable both to be operated simultaneously for opening and closing the gate from above the apparatus, substantially as herein described.

- 2. The combination, with the diffusing-vessel having a counterbalanced bottom or discharge-gate, of the screw-rods O 0, nuts T T, rods H H, counterbalanced catches L L, hooks K K, and rods W W, and the shaft G, geared with the upper ends of said screw-rods to enable both to be operated simultaneously for locking and unlocking the bottom or gate from above the diffusing apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN LEONARD EDMOND Witnesses:

GIRAL, F., RoB'r. M. HOOPER.

DUVAL. 

